News of the World newspaper sent to another newspaper belonging to News Corp. group, just during the wiretapping scandal, information about the former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, from the time he was Minister of Economy, according to several publications.
The Independent announced on its website that Gordon Brown would make a statement on Monday afternoon to reveal that private detectives working for the News of the World have hacked his voicemail and gained access to his bank statements and then sent the information to another newspaper in the News Corp. group.
The Independent newspaper didn’t quote that newspaper, but the BBC has announced that the Sunday Times referred to Brown, during the time he was Minister of Economy, after obtaining private information about his account.
For the first time, the News of the World wiretaps scandal is involving another newspaper within the British news empire of media magnate Rupert Murdoch. Apart from News of the World and Sunday Times, the group also includes The Times and The Sun tabloid.
Gordon Brown’s office did not immediately make any comments in reply to these disclosures.
Brown became premier in 2007, and was defeated in elections in spring 2010, by conservative David Cameron, who formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
Wiretaps scandal deepened on Monday after the BBC revealed that guards charged with the royal family security asked for money from tabloid News of the World in exchange to delivering information about the royal family, including Queen.
These disclosures appear in e-mails handed over to the Police by the leadership of News of the World tabloid. Scotland Yard refused to comment on information, but protested the “leakage (of information) designed to destabilize the investigation” regarding the voicemail scandal.